![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/rookie-of-the-year-honorable-mention-award-jf.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>Foster is a licensing specialist and New Technology Report (NTR) <\/a>specialist within Johnson\u2019s Technology Transfer Office in Houston. That team works to ensure that innovations developed for aeronautics and space exploration are made broadly available to the public, maximizing their benefit to the nation. Foster\u2019s role involves both capturing new technologies developed at Johnson and marketing and licensing those technologies to companies that would like to use and further develop them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He describes much of his work as \u201ctechnology hunting\u201d \u2013 reaching out to branches, offices, and teams across Johnson to teach them about the Technology Transfer Office, NTRs, and the value of technology reporting for NASA and the public. \u201cNTRs are the foundation that allows our office to do our job,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to know about a technology in order to transfer it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Foster\u2019s efforts to streamline and strengthen the reporting and patenting of Johnson\u2019s innovations led to his recognition by the consortium. His proactive outreach and relationship-building improved customer service and contributed to 158 NTRs in fiscal year 2024 \u2013 the highest number of NTRs disclosed by federal employees at any NASA center. Foster also proposed a three-month NTR sprint, during which he led a team of seven in an intensive exercise to identify and report new technologies. This initiative not only cleared a backlog of leads for the office, but also resulted in more than 120 previously undisclosed NTRs. \u201cWe are still using that process now as we continue processing NTRs,\u201d Foster said. On top of those achievements, he helped secure the highest recorded number of license agreements with commercial entities in the center\u2019s history, with 41 licenses executed in fiscal year 2024.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI am very proud of my accomplishments, none of it would be possible without the open-mindedness and continuous support of my incredible team,\u201d Foster said. \u201cThey have always provided a space to grow, and actively welcome innovation in our processes and workflows.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A self-described \u201cspace nerd,\u201d Foster said he always envisioned working at NASA, but not until much later in his career \u2013 ideally as an astronaut. He initially planned to pursue an astrophysics degree but discovered a passion for engineering and fused that with his love of space by studying aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering instead. In his last semester of college at California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, he landed a Universities Space Research Association internship at Johnson, supporting flight software development for crew exercise systems on the International Space Station and future exploration missions. \u201cI got really involved in the Johnson Space Center team and the work, and I thought, what if I joined NASA now?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He was hired as a licensing specialist on the Technology Transfer team under the JETS II Contract as an Amentum employee shortly after graduating and continually seeks new opportunities to expand his role and skillsets. \u201cThe more I can learn about anything NASA\u2019s doing is incredible,\u201d he said. \u201cI found myself in this perfect position where literally my job is to learn everything there is to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Foster celebrates three years with NASA this July. In his time at the agency, he has learned the value of getting to know and understand your colleagues\u2019 needs in order to help them. Before he meets with someone, he takes time to learn about the organization or team they are a part of, the work they are involved in, and what they might discuss. It is also important to determine how each person prefers to communicate and collaborate. \u201cDoing your homework pays dividends,\u201d Foster said. He has found that being as prepared as possible opens doors to more opportunities, and it helps to save valuable time for busy team members.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure>